MEET JEN

Jen first fell in love with Italian culture and cuisine while studying abroad in Florence. Exposure to the Italian way of living and thinking gave her such perspective and insight that she added anthropology as a minor to learn more about other cultures upon return to Notre Dame. This curiosity about others and herself led Jen from a conservative Catholic university in South Bend to a liberal graduate school in San Francisco, where she received a Master’s degree in East West Psychology.

Jen’s wanderlust led not only to interesting studies, but also to a position at an online adventure travel company during the heyday of the Internet boom. An opportunity of a lifetime, she jumped at the chance to research, market, travel to and write about some of the world’s most amazing places. Like many dotcom experiences, it led to unexpected life events, including a trip to Los Angeles, where she met Massi.

Jen’s planned two-day trip became six days long, just the amount of time Massi had before returning to Italy. Jen headed back to San Francisco and, a month later, to Italy for yet another life-changing experience that brought Massi to California for good.

With the two of them in one place, Jen accepted a project manager position at Gravity Branding in San Francisco and later at AddisCreson in West Berkeley, where she was exposed to the world of brand strategy, naming and design. After five years of managing projects for clients such as Nissan, Verizon, Kashi, Safeway, UC Berkeley and West Berkeley neighbor, Nolo, Jen wanted to get back to her roots and made the shift from branding to organizational culture assessment.

When Massi found an available restaurant space in West Berkeley, Jen jumped on board to help manifest his dream. Traveling to Italy for inspiration, food and wine tasting is just one of the job’s perks. Her kitchen contribution provides another perk - the sampling of Massi’s culinary creations. When not tasting, Jen manages Riva’s front of house operations, where she can be found in the dining room or out in the piazza, enjoying the company of her customers. She is happy to be back in West Berkeley, offering a new dining destination to her old colleagues, clients, friends and neighbors.

Meet Massi